Derrick White certainly wasn’t a household name before Game 6 between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, but he has probably become one after it.
White made history with an incredible buzzer-beating putback which helped the Celtics come away with a 104-103 win. His shot has sent the Eastern Conference Finals to a do-or-die Game 7, and an NBA executive had some high praise for White.
“The most underrated player in the league.”
.@Baxter writes about the savior of Game 6, Derrick White 💪
More on @ESPNPlus 🔗 https://t.co/7mHpvWFrbU pic.twitter.com/iw4q8dhXP6
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 28, 2023
White certainly isn’t going to be underrated for much longer at the rate he’s going. Acquiring him via trade from the San Antonio Spurs last season has proven to be a masterstroke by the Celtics, as he has solidified himself as a key member of the franchise.
While made the All-Defensive Second Team this season for the first time in his career, and in these playoffs, is averaging 13.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. He has also been incredibly efficient, shooting 51.2% from the field, 47.5% from beyond the arc, and 92.6% from the line.
Derrick White Has Played Exceptional Defense In These Playoffs
Everyone is going to remember the shot from White, and while it certainly was the biggest one of these playoffs, it is on the defensive end where he has made the most impact. His defensive prowess is why opposing guards haven’t consistently had success against the Celtics this postseason, as he has played great defense against Trae Young, James Harden, and Jimmy Butler.
All three of them have shot under 40% from the field when guarded by White, with Butler going 12-31 (38.7%) so far. If he can put together another strong defensive performance to limit Butler in Game 7, then the Celtics will almost surely come away with the win to complete the first-ever comeback from down 3-0. Almost no one could have seen this coming, but thanks, in part, to White, his team is now just one game away from making history.
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